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I know many of you have been begging me for this post, or at least for me to finally give you the recipe I claim is so simple. Well it is a very easy recipe and it taste great.

My sister went away for the weekend a little while ago and came home telling me they served the best broccoli side dish. I was so curious what this dish was because she happens to be the pickiest food eater ever. Anyway long story short she told me what was in it and I have been making it ever since.

It literally has become a staple side dish in my home and I have been serving it at all the holiday meals. NO joke this dish has been a huge crowd pleaser! I love this recipe because you can play around with it and add baby corn or water chestnuts for the real Chinese Food taste. Or you can prepare it like I have many times …. Just with broccoli.

Ingredients:

2 heads of broccoli- washed and cut bite size

2 cloves of garlic- minced

2 tablespoons of sesame oil

2 tablespoons Osem Soup Mix

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Soy Sauce to taste

Boiling water (about 1/4 of a cup)

Baby corn cut up or water chestnuts ( if desired)

Preparation:

Fry two cloves garlic in two table spoons of Sesame oil then add 3 heads of washed/cut broccoli

In a separate bowl- mix soup mix, cornstarch, add boiling water to dissolve the mix and add soy sauce

Add the mixture into broccoli cook covered for 10 minutes. ( if you want to add baby corn or water chestnuts, mix them into the broccoli after five minutes and let it cook covered for the last 5 minutes)

Serve Hot and Enjoy!

Broccoli, Baby Corn and Water Chestnuts

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

“Eating is really one of your indoor sports. You play three times a day, and it’s well worthwhile to make the game as pleasant as possible”

I just wanted to welcome you all and tell you a bit about myself and this blog.

About Me

My name is Nicole and I am 22 year old girl living in the heart of New York: Manhattan. I recently graduated college, where I concentrated in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. This summer I decided would be the summer I would pursue a dream I’ve had since I was very young… attend CULINARY school. For me cooking and baking is a passion and a hobby I enjoy. Many people think culinary school is only a worthwhile investment if you want to become a chef. For me it was an investment in an experience of a lifetime where I learned new skills and cooking techniques. Culinary schools focus on professional programs but they also offer numerous recreational classes for everyone from aspiring chefs to culinary enthusiasts who want to learn skills and techniques they will have for life. But if you do not have the money or time to devote to a professional program then what better way to learn than to hear from and speak to people who have?

When it comes to cooking and baking there are endless opportunities to demonstrate creativity. Now some of you are thinking “well I keep kosher so I am restricted in my food choices” or “ I am on a diet and trying to live a healthy lifestyle so I must live only on fiber one cereal and cottage cheese”. Well that’s where you are wrong, because no matter what diet restrictions you follow you can always be unique and creative and try new recipes you actually enjoy and are allowed to eat… Shocking right?

So here was always my issue: I was raised in a Jewish home where many of us strictly keep kosher and some of us are vegetarians, and as if that isn’t enough, someone is always on a diet. I grew up catering to VEGETARIANS ON A DIET WHO KEEP KOSHER. Growing up, my parents stressed the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and eating right; which was inspired by my Cardiologist Uncle Dr. Uri Meir Benzur. http://www.drbenzur.com/

We are always looking for healthy and interesting kosher recipes. I am not a vegetarian anymore but I was for about 8 years so I definitely have some delicious vegetarian recipes to share with you all. When it comes to healthy eating, the right balance is extremely important. Yes, we always try to eat right but come on, where’s the fun in life we don’t allow ourselves to indulge every so often?

I always wanted to attend culinary school but I knew that also meant an investment of time and money but I would not be able to taste anything in class because I keep kosher. I did not want to give up learning for experienced chefs and having that hands-on cooking experience so I attended random recreational classes I heard about. Recently I heard about and then attended one of the few Kosher Culinary Programs in the World. I received my certificate for completing a professional culinary program in June and even took the Servsafe exam which focuses on serving safe food.

About The Blog: Focusing On Kosher Cooking And Baking

I have hundreds of cookbooks I have gathered over the years, some kosher and some not but I play around with the recipes changing some ingredients to put together the best kosher recipes I can. I learn new recipes from my friends and family, from cooking shows and classes, food magazines and of course books but how many of us have the time, or energy to experiment and try every single recipe to finally find one we like? That’s why I am here for you guys. I will try and make things easier by giving you everything from quick and easy kosher healthy recipes to fancy dinner ideas.

I really believe that people eat with their eyes and for that reason presentation is so important to me. Some of you might say you couldn’t care less how it looks as long as it taste good, and who am I to argue with you? But for those of you who are like me when it comes to presentation and detail, I will show you pictures and give you ideas for plating and display.

In short, I’m not a celebrity chef but I did attend culinary school, I haven’t written a kosher cookbook just yet but I kept kosher my entire life, I am not a vegetarian now but I was , I am not a nutritionist but I was raised in a family that stressed healthy eating. So with that said I hope I can teach you a few things, give you some new recipes that will become staple dishes in your homes and show you that kosher cooking and baking is definitely a worthwhile hobby considering we are almost always eating 🙂

Speak to you soon,

Nicole Doreen

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating”